By Greg LaRose | Editor-in-Chief
We start your workweek with quite the variety of news, starting with a story that’s quite literally for the birds.
A whooping crane approaches the fence of its enclosure at the Audubon Species Survival Center in New Orleans. (Elise Plunk/LAI)
By Elise Plunk
Whooping cranes are some of the rarest birds in North America, though restoration efforts have made them a justification for the federal Endangered Species Act. Wildlife advocates say a Trump administration shake-up of habitat protections for endangered species would be widely detrimental to the birds, but they also wonder whether Louisiana’s reintroduction program, unique environment and culture could ensure the cranes are shielded from the worst effects.
There has been heightened tension between New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno and Gov. Jeff Landry since Attorney General Liz Murrill was indicted in July on charges of intimidation and malfeasance, which were later dropped. (Robert Stewart/Verite News)
By Julie O’Donoghue
Gov. Jeff Landry said he won’t personally talk to New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno until after an investigation determines who was behind the July indictment of Attorney General Liz Murrill. The governor also isn’t ruling out a special legislative session to continue changing laws for the New Orleans court system, which is at the heart of the dispute between state and city leaders.
Dr. Evelyn Griffin, a Baton Rouge obstetrician and gynecologist, was announced named Louisiana’s next surgeon general in May 2025. (CDC livestream image)
By Rosemary Westwood | Deep South Today
Dr. Evelyn Griffin was an unconventional choice as Louisiana’s surgeon general in May 2025. She has no background or specialty training in infectious disease or public health. She is aligned with alternative health movements — including Make American Healthy Again, or MAHA — and has hosted some speakers promoting fringe medical views.
By Julie O’Donoghue
Gov. Jeff Landry struck funding for several projects in New Orleans and other Democratic communities from the state budget that went into effect July 1. Last week, a legislative leader got lawmakers to restore a portion of the money intended for a New Orleans music center serving disadvantaged children. The center’s founders include a couple of recognizable names.
This week’s episode of “The Light Switch” podcast covers an upcoming congressional showdown over maritime law changes that stand to impact Louisiana’s port and shipbuilding interests.
NEWS FROM THE STATES
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